Women in football need the sport to up its game

‘Whatever happens, the days of football as a male-only domain are gone.’ Photograph: Getty

As the CEO at Women in Football (WIF), a 9,000-strong member-based organisation leading the drive for gender equality in the game, I read Hollie Varney’s piece with interest (Sexism is on the rise in football. Here is what needs to change, 18 January).

The reports described by Hollie are consistent with our findings here at WIF, both anecdotal and statistical. In our 2023 survey, the largest of its kind so far conducted in the industry, we found that 82% of women working in football had experienced discrimination at work – a significant rise from 66% in our previous survey three years earlier.